Nagpur: Revenue minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule on Saturday directed govt officials to remain on the field, not their headquarters, to ensure that drought-relief measures reach farmers without delay.
Bawankule said accurate crop damage panchnamas would be crucial for determining assistance under Trigger 1 and Trigger 2 through Centre, state govt and crop insurance companies.
“From panchayat to Parliament and from the village revenue officer to the chief secretary, the entire machinery is on alert,” he said during his visit to drought-affected areas of Akola and Buldhana districts. “No one should choose a path like suicide,” he said, appealing to farmers to seek govt support during the crisis. He said govt was “very positive” about providing financial assistance to farmers before Diwali. State govt, he said, was taking immediate steps without waiting for central assistance. Centre has decided to send an inspection team directly instead of waiting for a proposal, he said, adding that village revenue officers, agriculture officers and gram sevaks have been instructed to visit farms, prepare accurate panchnamas and obtain the affected farmer’s signature.
The minister also accepted hundreds of representations before speaking to reporters.